


Of Amulets and Serrators

by rockymountainvixen



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Ajim week, F/M, Fluff, Romance, ajim
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-03-29 15:31:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19022770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockymountainvixen/pseuds/rockymountainvixen
Summary: Tales of the epic romance between Aja Tarron, queen in waiting of Akiridion-5, and Jim Lake Jr, wielder of the amulet of daylight and champion of trollkind.For Ajim week and beyond.





	1. Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim wants his humanity back more than anything, but it may require a price Aja isn’t willing to pay.

Aja would be the first one to admit that she was still learning about earth; but even she knew that this was a place of power.

 

The water radiated unnatural light, preventing them from seeing what laid in its depths. It almost seemed like someone cut a hole in the cave floor, allowing cerulean light to poor in.

 

Aja dug her fingers into Jim’s shoulder, he was strong enough that if he really wanted to, she couldn’t stop him.

 

But she was still going to try.

 

“You don’t have to be doing this,” she urged “We can find another way,”

 

Jim kept his eyes fixed on the cave pool “There is no other way, we’ve talked to Merlin and Morgana _and_ Nimue….if there’s any way, this is it,”

 

Aja darted around, placing herself between Jim and the pool “But you heard what Nimue said, the potion cannot be undone, this water will only change you _further_ , and into what we do not know,”

 

Jim met her gaze without flinching “That’s a risk I’m willing to take,”

 

Biting back a howl of frustration, Aja grabbed his shoulders with all four hands “Jim, Merlin may have turned you into a troll, but you were still you. This. Is. _Different_.” she gestured toward the glowing pool “If you go in there, you don’t know what you will come out as,”

 

Aja took a step closer, she would beg him if that’s what it took “Jim, you could lose yourself,”

 

Jim sighed defeatedly “Aja….I need to do this,”

 

“No you don’t!” she said only a little too harshly “I’ve already told you, human or troll doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter to _anyone_. Myself, Toby, Claire, the trolls, your mother, we are loving you no matter what you look like,”

 

“It’s not that,” he sidestepped her to look down at the water “I need to be able to stand in the sun,”

 

“But you have a stone for that,”

 

“It’s not just the sun, it’s--” he struggled for the right words “Back before all….this, omelettes were one my favorite things to make, I loved trying different flavor combinations, making one for my mom each morning….and now….”

 

He turned to look at her, in the entire time Aja had known Jim she had never seen him look so hopeless “I can’t even remember what an omelette tastes like,”

 

For the first time since coming here Aja found herself at a loss for words.

 

Jim continued “Ever since the eternal night it’s been nothing but Trollhunter business, day and night, and every day I feel like I’m forgetting a little bit more about my life when I was human,”

 

The luminescent water reflected his trollish features as he stepped right up to the edge “And with a troll’s lifespan….I’m going to outlive everyone, human and troll and you, if I stay like this,”

 

He turned back towards Nimue’s pool “I’m not scared of not being able to go in the sun or being made of living stone; I’m terrified that one day, centuries from now, I’ll have forgotten everything that’s important to me. How my mom raised me, growing up with Toby, you…..”

 

His voice began to crack “It might not be today, or tomorrow, but Aja, if I don’t do this I _will_ lose myself,”

 

And just like that Aja had no rebuttal to give.

 

It would be different if Jim was doing it for his friends or his mother or even for her.

 

But he was doing this for himself.

 

She rushed forward and threw her arms around him “Jim, I promise, no matter what this magic does to you, no matter what you become, I will be the first thing you see when you come out,”

 

Jim returned the hug “Thank you Aja,”

 

This time she could hear the fear in his voice.

 

Soon, far too soon, he gently pried one of her hands of his shoulder. As much as Aja wanted to hold him tighter, she let go.

 

After pausing and steeling himself with a deep breath, Jim stepped into the pool.

 

It took everything she had to keep from jumping forward and pulling him back.

 

A few more steps and Jim was up to his knees in the shimmering, blue water, then his waist, then his shoulders, and eventually, even the tips of his horns vanished beneath the pool’s surface.

 

Aja couldn’t breathe, the surface of the pool was completely still. If she hadn’t watched him walk in herself she never would have thought Jim was down there.

 

She waited in silence for a minute, one minute became two.

 

And then she saw ripples on the far side.

 

Aja snapped into action like a tensely coiled spring, racing around to the other side just in time to see a hand breach the surface.

 

Using her full strength, she grabbed the hand and pulled.

 

The hand was attached to Jim, who promptly collapsed on the cave floor. For a brief instant he looked exactly the same as when he stepped into Nimue’s pool.

 

Then his whole body was enveloped by white hot, crackling lightning bolts.

 

Aja was forced to let go of his hand and step back. She couldn’t place where but she had seen this before. This energy surrounding him, like a chrysalis; it reminded her of a….of a….

 

Of a changeling.

 

The lightning dissipated and Jim; small, squishy, _human_ Jim, was revealed.

 

Aja rushed forward and scooped Jim into her arms, he was so much smaller now. She propped his torso up with two arms and cupped his face with a third.

 

The pool had worked in the best way possible, by turning a troll into a changeling, but was he still himself?

 

Was Jim still Jim?

 

Slowly, ever so slowly, Jim’s eyes fluttered open.

 

Bleary and unfocused, his eyes met hers.

 

“Jim….” Aja could only manage a hoarse whisper “Are you still….you?”

 

Jim gave her a weak smile.

 

“Yep,” he wheezed “I’m me,”

 

A squishy, five fingered hand came up to his jaw and entwined its fingers with hers “Thanks for being here when I got out,”

 

The only way Aja could release the overwhelming combination of joy and relief and exhilaration she felt in that moment was in the form of a loud, ugly sob.

 

“You are not doing this again,” she choked out “Ever.”

 

That got a weary chuckle out of him “I think I’ll be able to manage that,”

  
  



	2. In Laws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In laws are an interesting part of every relationship, but for Aja and Jim it's more interesting than usual.

“I trust you’re comfortable human?”

Jim glared at the alien general while trying not to squirm in the magnetic shackles.

“Yeah no, the cuffs are going to cost you some stars when I review this place online,”

Morando smirked at him “You may laugh now fleshling,” he turned and pressed a few buttons below the large monitor occupying most of the wall “But now that I have you in my clutches, it is only a matter of time before your precious princess comes to your rescue and falls right into my trap,”

The monitor flickered to life. Morando straightened his cape, no doubt wanting to look his most intimidating while making ransom demands.

When the screen finally resolved Aja was there, but much to Jim’s surprise, so where Otto, Dictatious, and Gunmar. With Aja herself being wrapped in chains and suspended upside down from the ceiling.

All five of them just stared at each other in stunned silence before Aja spoke up.

“Hello, Jim,” her voice crackled out of the speakers “Are you ok?”

“Oh, uh….yeah, I’m fine, how about you?”

“I have been having better days….”

Gunmar snarled at the screen “Why have you conjured this vision impure, I don’t need an apparition of the Trollhunter,” he punctuated his words by slamming his fists against the floor “I need the Trollhunter!”

“Mein Kaiser-- this is no apparition,” Otto stutterd out “This was supposed to allow us to communicate with the Trollhunter, I have no idea who this other--”

“I don’t know who you filthy organics think you are,” Morando cut it “But if you have the Akiridion princess you _will_ surrender her to me, or face swift and deadly consequences,”

For a few beats no one moved. If Jim had to guess he would say that no one had spoken to Gunmar like that in….well, ever. Gunmar’s single pupil constricted as he started to tremble with rage. Otto and Dictatious slowly edged away from the warlord.

“Who am I? WHO AM I!?” Gunmar charged forward until his eye took up the entire screen “I AM GUNMAR THE BLACK! THE VICIOUS! THE SKULLCRUSHER! AND UNLESS _YOU_ SURRENDER THE TROLLHUNTER TO _ME_ , I WILL SHATTER EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY AND SUSPEND YOU FROM A NOOSE OF YOUR OWN INTESTINES!”

Morando bristled with indignation “Why you insolent, simple-minded, half evolved--”

The two tyrants bellowed back and forth at each other, exchanging colorful threats at increasingly loud volumes.

Jim met Aja’s eyes through the monitor while they were distracted. Her only response was to shrug her shoulders, a difficult feat when one was upside down.

Dictatious tried to diffuse the situation “Now let’s be rational,” he raised his four hands in a placating manner “We both have something the other wants, so let’s settle this in a calm, civilized--”

“Dwarkstone in the hole!”

Dictatious only had time to look down at the object that had landed at his feet before the aforementioned object exploded, sending him into a wall.

Jim and Morando watched in stupefied silence while the scene on the other side of the monitor devolved into chaos. Jim was able to see Draal cut Aja down and Blinky catch her before Morando shut off the screen.

Morando took deep breaths in through his nose while clenching and unclenching his fists, obviously displeased that his use-Aja’s-boyfriend-as-bait scheme hadn’t gone as he’d planned “Don’t get the wrong idea human,” he snarled “The princess might be unavailable, but you will remain my prisoner until--”

“DJ Kleb in the house!”

Morando whirled around in surprise, allowing Vex to land a perfect hit to his jaw and send him spiraling into the monitor while Krel zoomed in on his sister’s hoverboard, busted the cuffs off, and pulled Jim up onto the board.

“We have retrieved the Queen in waiting’s boyfriend, onward to _glorious_ victory!”

Vex charged forward and started bashing robots left and right, clearing a path for Krel and Jim.

Krel turned back at Jim and grinned “It must be nice to be being someone part of a family of warriors, yes?”

Jim managed to give him a weak smile while struggling to maintain his balance on the rapidly accelerating board “You betcha,”

Now if only they didn’t each get their own enemies in law.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something short and silly this time


	3. Battlefield (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the eve of battle, Jim and Aja share a heart to heart

Aja watched the dark forest go by as she stared out the window of the large truck. Jim sat next to her, driving Susanna, with the rest of the group riding in the back.

 

Stealing their teacher’s truck hadn’t been their first choice, but their vehicle options were limited. And besides, if by this time tomorrow their worst problem was having Señor Uhl be angry at them for stealing his truck, they would be doing pretty damn good. 

 

“Are you doing ok?”

 

It took Aja a little while to realize that Jim had been speaking to her.

 

“Oh, I….”

 

For a moment she was tempted to lie, to say she was fine, to tell him that she was ready and rearing for battle. Like the warrior princess she was.

 

But Aja couldn’t.

 

Not tonight. 

 

Not now.

 

“I am frightened,” she whispered.

 

For a while it didn’t seem like Jim had heard her, then he replied.

 

“Yeah, me to,”

 

Both of them were silent for a few minutes before Jim spoke up again.

 

“Aja, no matter what happens, no matter how this goes down, please, get Draal out of there,”

 

Now that they had started to flow the words came gushing out of him “Get Draal out, get everyone out and make sure--”

 

“Stop.”

 

Jim looked sharply over to her as Aja placed a hand on his arm.

 

“Do not talk like this Jim. We will rescue Draal and Varvatos and all of the others. And then we will all escape,  _ together _ .”

 

Jim squirmed away from her gaze “I know….you’re right, I shouldn’t even be thinking like that, it’s just that….”

 

He trailed off.

 

She didn’t need him to finish, she knew exactly what he was feeling.

 

Not the fear of falling in battle yourself but the fear of losing one of your comrades. That despite giving it their all this would be the mission that one of them didn’t come back from.

 

Aja knew because she felt the exact same way.

 

“It is ok to be scared Jim, but remember, you have me, you have all of us. And together there is nothing we cannot do,”

 

Jim flashed her a weak grin in response, but by this point Aja had learned to tell Jim’s genuine smiles apart from the ones designed to placate.

 

“Jim, I have never met Draal in person, but from what you have told me he is every bit a brother to you as Krel is to me. To watch him die the way that he did….only to learn that he survived and was captured….” her throat constricted with emotion “I imagine you were feeling the same way I was when I learned the same thing had happened to Varvatos….”

 

That got Jim’s attention, he gave her a stricken look “Aja….”

 

She continued, despite her voice becoming thick with the promise of tears “And right now I am terrified that Varvatos may die, before I can ever make things right…..” Aja forced back the tears that threatened to spill out “It is ok to be afraid Jim, but remember that you are not alone,”

 

Jim reached out with the hand that wasn’t on the steering wheel and squeezed her fingers. 

 

“Thank you for saying that Aja, and for being with me,” steel entered his voice “The same goes both ways, I’ll make sure that Vex makes it out, and that we all escape,”

 

Aja returned the finger squeeze “Thank you Jim,” 

 

No matter how tonight went down they would all have each other’s backs. Her and Jim, Krel and Eli and Steve, Darci, Mary, Claire, and Toby.

 

Nobody was getting left behind.

 

At long last and yet far too soon they reached their destination. Jim pulled the truck to a stop. Aja opened the passenger side door and stepped out, with Claire, Steve, Eli, and Krel jumping down out of the truck bed; leaving Toby, Mary, and Darci along with Jim in the vehicle.

 

The whole plan depended on Aja’s group striking fast and hard from the back end of Area 49-B, pulling the base’s main forces while Jim’s group snuck in from the side, giving him an opening to liberate Draal and the others.

 

Absolutely no one was happy about the group being split up, but it was the only plan they had.

 

Jim took the brake off and prepared to drive around to the side of the base, but before he did he rolled down the window and looked out at all of them.

 

“Guys, we can do this, we’re going to go in there, kick major butt, and rescue everyone,”

 

It was obvious he was addressing their whole group, but he said the next part while looking Aja dead in the eye.

 

“And tomorrow Señor Uhl is going to be so mad that we stole Susanna that he’s going to give us all Saturday detention,”

 

Aja smiled as memories of their last Saturday detention flickered through her mind. Señor Uhl sick all day from the burrito he’d taken from her, riding their bikes through the school halls, getting into the theater department supplies, re-enacting Romeo and Juliet with Jim….

 

Steve raised his baseball bat “To Saturday detention!”

 

“To Saturday detention!” the whole group chorused.

 

Aja was able to meet Jim’s eyes one more time before he inevitably had to roll up the window and drive away out of sight.

 

So this was it then.

 

Aja took a deep, cleansing breath.

 

The time for battle was now.

 

Her serrator flashed to life, illuminating the dark woods with neon blue light as it took the shape of a blade.

 

“Let’s go,”

 

She hiked through the trees toward the wall of the base with the others following and pulling out their own weapons. Krel had his own serrator, Eli and Steve had matching baseball bats with barbed wire wrapped around them, Claire extended her staff to its full length.

 

In less than a minute the were within spitting distance of their target. All of them crouched behind a tree for cover, priming themselves to launch their first crucial assault.

 

Aja tightened her grip on her serrator, back in the truck she had shared a great deal of herself with Jim.

 

But not everything.

 

There was one thing that she held back from telling him. 

 

The fear that something might happen to him, while he was far away from her on the side of the base.

 

Aja was scared that Jim might not come back from this battle.

 

The two hands that were unoccupied with the serrator dug their fingers into the dirt.

 

Not now. 

 

She needed her mind clear for the upcoming fight.

 

Aja and the others would provide a distraction while Jim and the others freed all their friends. Then he would give the signal for them to retreat and they would all fall back to Trollmarket.

 

Everyone would make it out of this ok.

 

Including Jim.

 

Especially Jim.

 

Claire glanced at the guards patrolling the wall before looking back to the group.

 

“You guys ready?”

 

Aja rolled herself into a crouching position, ready to spring to her feet at a moments notice.

 

“Ready,”

 

She would fight with everything she had, rescue everyone, and then they would all go to Saturday detention together.

 

Just like Jim said.

 

Aja charged the gate, the others right on her heels, and bellowed out a fearsome war cry as she threw herself at the guards, serrator flashing.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cliffhanger. Why? Because I'm evil ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	4. Crystals (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of battle.

Jim ran at the back of the group, keeping an eye out for pursuers and making sure that no one ahead of him fell behind.

 

After what seemed like an eternity of running, evading, and constantly checking their backs; the group reached the entrance to Trollmarket.

 

Someone at the front, Darci probably, opened the gate with a Horngazel and started leading everyone inside.

 

Jim stayed where he was, Daylight held at the ready, while the rag-tag group of trolls and Akiridions rushed into the safety of Trollmarket.

 

He tensed upon hearing the sound of engines and sirens.

 

The goons from the base were closing in.

 

Jim slowly edged toward the entrance as the last few trolls went in, keeping his back to the wall and Daylight pointed in front of him.

 

Finally _finally_ , the last one made it inside.

 

Jim hopped through the entrance without turning his back, and pulled out his own Horngazel.

 

He had just enough time to see the thunderous look of outrage on Colonel Kubritz’s face as she pulled up on her jeep, right before he sealed the gate shut in it, leaving only a stone wall where the entrance once was.

 

Jim let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The amulet popped off into his hand as his armor deactivated.

 

Everyone around him cheered.

 

They had done it.

 

The rescue mission was a success.

 

Jim turned and walked over to join the rest of the group, his heart giving a lurch when he saw a spiky blue figure slumped against the wall with a lithe pink figure standing guard.

 

According to Nomura, the scientists back at area 49-B had kept him knocked out with some kind of drug. Now that Draal was off of it he should wake up in a few hours.

 

Jim’s chest tightened.

 

It couldn’t happen soon enough, there was so much he needed to say.

 

Pulling his gaze away from Draal, Jim walked over to his friends, all of whom were celebrating their victory.

 

Claire and Mary were locked in a passionate kiss, meanwhile everyone else was tangled up in a massive group hug.

 

A hug that Jim was ensnared in as soon has he got within range.

 

“OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOMYGOSH! JIM WE DID IT!”

 

Jim let out a hearty laugh “We sure did Tobes,”

 

He stepped back and smiled at all of his friends, who’d gone to battle with him and come out victorious.

 

Toby, Claire, Mary, Darci, Steve….

 

The smile fell off of his face; Aja, Krel, and Eli were missing.

 

“Guys….where’s everyone else?”

 

Upon realizing that they were missing a few people, their looks of exhilaration were replaced with confusion.

 

Except for Steve.

 

Steve looked grim.

 

“It….it was right as we were retreating,” he mumbled “One of the lab goons was about to hit us with some kind of ray gun. Aja took him down….but not before he blasted her,”

 

Steve dropped his gaze to the floor “It was pretty bad, we had to carry her out of there,” his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper “Krel and Eli rushed her to the healer’s dwell as soon as we got down here….”

 

Jim couldn’t breathe, his blood turned to ice in his veins.

 

No….not Aja….

 

Toby put a hand on his shoulder “Go, we’ll handle everything here,”

 

Jim flashed his friend a grateful look before rushing off in the direction of the healer’s dwell.

 

He skidded to a stop as he approached the entrance, heart threatening to beat out of his chest.

 

He prayed to whoever was listening that he didn’t walk in there only to hear that that the girl he loved was….

 

Swallowing his fears, Jim stepped inside.

 

Clusters of smaller Hearthstone crystals lined the walls and every room of the dwell, Trolls believed the light from these crystal helped to heal injuries.

 

Jim ran a hand against one of their smooth facets, he really hoped that extended to Akiridions as well.

 

Turning a corner, Jim came face to face with the missing members of team Trollhunter.

 

Aja was laid out on one of the stone slabs. Severe burns lined one side of her face, from what he could see they no doubt ran down further onto her chest and arms.

 

Krel was standing off to the side, with Eli next to him, a supportive hand on his shoulder. Some large, four eyed Akiridion stood on the opposite side of the slab from him.

 

His mom was there, hovering over Aja and examining her burns.

 

Jim tried to figure out how to make his voice work again “Is….is she….”

 

“I can hear you and I am being perfectly fine!”

 

Aja’s voice may have been a low croak, but it was music to his ears.

 

Barbara smiled down at her spitfire patient “You are going to have some pretty severe scars, but other than that, you should make a complete recovery,”

 

Jim sagged against the crystal wall, knees weak with relief.

 

She was ok.

 

Aja was going to be alright.

 

“....I….I….I’m glad you’re ok,”

 

Aja flashed him a weak smile “I am better than ok,” she rasped “I have fearsome battle scars now,” she flexed one of her singed arms and winced “And we rescued Varvatos,”

 

The large Akiridion, Varvatos Vex no doubt, looked down at his feet and picked at a stray electrode on his arm, managing to look bashful even at his size.

 

Jim blinked. That’s right, Vex, Aja’s trainer, her mentor.

 

He should leave and let them talk.

 

“The queen in waiting and the hunter of trolls should….discuss the outcome of their battle,” Vex spoke up, almost as if he could read Jim’s mind.

 

“Varvatos will….I….will have Deklons to make amends for my actions,”

 

“You can start right now,” Krel piped up “By meeting with me and the Eli, during our time on earth we have become, how the humans say, boyfriends,”

 

Vex notably brightened at this “Varvatos would be more than happy to meet with any friend of the king in waiting,”

 

The three of them walked off, exchanging introductions as they went, while Barbara stood up and embraced Jim.

 

Never one to turn down a hug, Jim squeezed her back just as hard.

 

“I’ll be down the hall, shout if you need anything,” she pulled him a little closer  “Thanks for coming back safe,”

 

Their embrace lasted a few more seconds, before they pulled away, Barbara going to see others that needed care and Jim moving to take a seat by Aja’s bedside.

 

They were alone now.

 

For the first time since riding beside each other on the way to raid the base.

 

“How is everyone else?” Aja stiffly sat up on her slab “Were any of our other friends….?”

 

“Nope, just some bumps and bruises,”

 

And thank goodness for that, they hadn’t planned and executed a crazy, high risk scheme to rescue all of their friends just so someone else could get captured or worse.

 

Maybe one day there would be a battle one of them didn’t walk away from.

 

But not today.

 

“Good,” Aja reached out and laid her two unburned hands across his forearm “I am glad everyone is well….I am glad that _you_ are well,”

 

“Thanks,” Jim entwined his fingers with hers “I’m glad you’re ok to. When Steve said that you got hurt, for a second I thought you might be….”

 

He trailed off, the possibility being too horrible to say out loud.

 

“I know what you must have thought,” her voice softened “I admit that….I was worried the same might happen to you,”

 

With a slight grimace, she clasped his hand using all four of hers, burnt and unburnt “But we survived, and everyone else is safe with us, that is what matters,”

 

Aja's triumphant grin was reflected in the glowing crystals surrounding her.

 

Jim’s face melted into a tender smile.

 

There would be more battles and more missions, and maybe one day they would lose someone, but that wasn’t important right now.

 

They had rescued all of their friends and come out on top.

 

“You’re right,” he gently squeezed her fingers with his own.

 

Wherever Jim and Aja’s story took them, for now, they were still together.

 

“We’re all here, that’s what counts,”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed a Jim/Aja post-battle reunion with a side of Clairy and Kreli.
> 
> You have no idea how hard it was to do this and have the focus be on Jim and Aja. Because realistically, they're both going to have a lot of people they want to talk to after coming back from a fight.
> 
> Ajim week is over, bit if the mood ever strikes me, I might add a few more drabbles to this.


End file.
